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Olympians and Paralympians Making a Difference in the Lives of LAUSD Students

Gold Medal Reviews

Student Testimonials …

“Ready, Set, Gold is awesome. This program helped me get up & be active. It helped me realize how important physical education really is. It was awesome meeting famous olympian David Brinton! This program taught me how to do a proper push up & how to pace myself on the track. Overall, this program really helped and I loved it!”

“I really liked Ready, Set, Gold. I like Ready, Set, Gold because it changed my lifestyle why because I would never past my self now I can. It also changed my life by making my legs stronger for soccer. Another thing I like of Ready, Set, Gold because just in those 5 months can change a lot and it did thanks Ready Set Gold.”

“I really like Ready Set Gold. Every time I get back from P.E. I get a good feeling that I’ve accomplished something. My favorite exercise is the mile run! That is why I like Ready, Set Gold!”

“Wow, have you tried the Ready, Set, Gold program. It helps you stay healthy and fit. Before the program, I could not even do a single push up and now I can do 3. I say that the best was meeting David Brinton a champion of cycling. Another thing is the running. Before I was a running turtle, and now I’m a running cheetah.”

“I learned that if I put my heart in it I can do anything”

“Dear Mr. O’hara, I wanted to thank you for instructing volleyball lessons and the books that you gave us telling us about the olympic activities that you did. Also for letting us hold the torch and for showing us the great pictures.”

Teacher Testimonials …

“As always – a GREAT SESSION! David Brinton is an amazing athlete, coach, and inspirational speaker that relates extremely well with all students.” – Pat Falzone, Calabash Charter Academy

“We had Roberta Belle here on Friday November 18th to work with our 5th graders. She was truly inspirational to us all. The kids were captivated by her words as well as the DVD she brought. Lots of “ohhs” and “ahhs.” It was awesome! We had her come during PE class which is held on Fridays at 11:00. This worked out wonderfully. I look forward to having Roberta back.” – Anne Puccini, Castle Heights Elementary

“Thanks for such a wonderful morning. The kids cannot stop talking about Mr. Mark [Crear]!!! As short and sweet as the assembly was, I think the impact was great.” – Jackie Metroka, KIPP LA Prep Middle School

“I want to send many thanks for the invitation to the cycling event at the Home Depot Center. It was very exciting to watch and the kids loved it. We liked it so much, we also went on Sunday to watch the tandem races. Thank You for thinking of us we appreciate it.” – Julia Madrigal, Foshay Learning Center

“South Gate High School and Ready,Set,Gold! presented Fitnessgram awards to the outstanding 9th grade Fitnessgram students during period 3 Physical Education class yesterday. Olympian Dwight Stones commended the students on all of their fitness training and improvement during the year. He stressed the importance of continuing to stay fit and making exercise a part of their daily lifestyle. P.E. teachers Mr. Fowler and Mrs. Fowler-Bustos both spoke positively about each of their students who were awarded certificates signed by Dwight Stones. One of the highlights was recognizing the student who ran each mile test and improved despite wearing a brace on his leg. Another student had lost weight and improved her self-esteem received recognition. This young lady was so surprised she had tears in her eyes as she was given her award. Thanks to Ready, Set, Gold! and our wonderful Olympian Dwight Stones for making an impact on the lives of our young people at South Gate High School.” – Nora Legaspi, South Gate High School

“Thank you for attending our Junior Olympics today. You added a touch of class to our program. We are lucky to have you and the RSG program at Ranchito” – Alan O’Hara, Ranchito EL (principal)

Olympian & Paralympian Testimonials …

“One student, Mercedes, made a goal to lose 15 pounds by test time and I said that I would bring in my Olympic medal if she does! A great goal that represents what Ready, Set, Gold! is all about!” – Mark Crear, Track and Field, ’96, ’00

“WOW, what a wonderful experience at Darby. I am sure you will hear the details. One boy came up to me and said, “thank you so much for being such an inspiration.” – David Brinton, Cycling ’88

“I just wanted to say thanks for that opportunity to be a kid again and inspire the youth at Lockwood Elementary. It probably did more for me than it did for them. Being a part of the Ready, Set, Gold program, was an incredible experience and brought so much light! So Thanks For Creating Such An Awesome Program!” – Kim Glass, Volleyball, ’08

“I really enjoyed working with the students at Carson High School. Especially, since I am a resident of the city. I’ve seen so much improvement in the attitude of a lot of the students since my first visit. Most of them really put forth an “Olympic Style” effort to do their best whenever I’m there. In fact, on every one of my visits, I always get a few students that like to challenge me to a race or to a push-up competition. I am a true believer in the Ready, Set, Gold program. It definitely plays a significant role in a lot of young students’ lives by providing World Class encouragement, education and motivation from some of the greatest Olympians. I am grateful for the opportunity to impact so many students.” – Steve Lewis, Track and Field ’92

“I just went to my 4th visit at 49th St. Elementary. All the students did so well and improved so much! Maya Rosas–the coordinator–printed out Congratulation certificates for everyone–the kids were sooo excited! “My mom won’t believe this!”, said a couple of the students. It’s been a fun time with this group.” – Shannon Downing, Snow Boarding ’98, ’02

“FYI- The kids were amazing during their Fitnessgram testing, We had almost a handful of children who ran the mile under 7 minutes, a couple kids who did 60+ legit sit-ups, and some of the flexibility testing was better than most grown-ups. Truly EXCELLENT!” – Chris Soule, Skeleton ’02, ’06

“I was at Byrd to inspire the boys on their mile-run test on Monday. Unfortunately, the rains had left the track in unusable shape, so we went into the fitness room where I got to work with individual students on aerobic and strength machines. I came back Tuesday for the mile run. Dennis had 8 of 10 boys pass, and an overall pass rate for all students on all tests of, I believe, 70-80%. I’d like to believe I made a small difference, but in truth, Dennis’ teaching is inspired. He really cares about those kids, and puts a lot into his work with them.” – Craig Lincoln, Diving ’72

“I told them I was very proud of them for becoming more fit than when I last saw them, no matter what their FG scores! I then unzipped my USA warm-up top to reveal that I was wearing my very own “Byrd Is Best” PE tee-shirt, personalized with my name. I told them I hoped they would carry “Fitness Forward” into the rest of the school year and beyond. I had them give themselves a rousing round of applause, and then they broke for soccer. I worked with each of three games they were playing before saying “good-bye and good luck and good fitness!” There you go! It was a grand day, I believe.” – Craig Lincoln, ’72 Diving